Health

The Lagos State Government has ordered the registration of all pregnant women turned away at the Mother and Child Hospital along Ogombo Road, Lekki, over an alleged limit on antenatal registrations. More than 30 women were reportedly stranded on Tuesday after being told that the hospital’s registration quota of 45 patients had been reached, despite some arriving as early as 6:40 a.m. The Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, intervened following complaints from the affected women, prompting the hospital’s management to apologise and direct nurses to register everyone. However, the hospital’s management denied having a policy restricting registration to 45 patients, while some staff blamed the situation on a shortage of healthcare workers. The hospital’s managing director, Dr Femi Aletan, attributed the staff shortage partly to the migration of Nigerian medical professionals abroad in search of better salaries and working conditions. The incident has raised concerns about access to antenatal care and the pressure on healthcare facilities to meet growing demand amid a shortage of medical personnel.

Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, says the livestock sector uses more antibiotics than the human health sector, warning that improper use of the drugs could worsen antimicrobial resistance. He made this known on Monday in Abuja during a joint ministerial briefing ahead of the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, scheduled to hold from December 6 to 8. Pate explained that antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms become resistant to medicines designed to treat infections. He stressed that the problem affects humans, animals and the environment, requiring coordinated action across different sectors. The minister identified vaccination, proper hygiene, biosecurity, improved diagnosis and infection prevention as key measures to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics. He also urged Nigerians to consult medical professionals before taking antibiotics, noting that not every cough or catarrh requires the drugs. Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, warned that the misuse of antimicrobials and agrochemicals could threaten food safety, agricultural productivity, trade and livelihoods. The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, also emphasised that antimicrobial resistance spreads across humans, animals, farms, food and environmental systems. The upcoming conference will be the first global high-level ministerial conference on antimicrobial resistance to be hosted in Africa. Its theme is “One Healthcare: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action.”

Nigeria has recorded 263 deaths from Lassa fever and 1,115 confirmed cases between January and September 20, 2026, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency says the case fatality rate has risen to 23.6 per cent, compared with 18.5 per cent during the same period last year. A total of 8,218 suspected cases have been reported across the country, with confirmed infections recorded in 24 states and 119 local government areas. Ondo State has the highest number of confirmed cases at 393, followed by Bauchi with 260, Taraba with 133, Edo with 122 and Benue with 61. Together, the five states account for about 87 per cent of confirmed infections. The NCDC identifies late presentation at health facilities, high treatment costs and poor environmental sanitation as major challenges. It has urged states to strengthen public awareness and advised healthcare workers to ensure early detection, prompt treatment and strict infection-prevention measures.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has heightened surveillance after Kenya confirmed an imported case of Ebola. The case, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was confirmed on October 6 after a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo travelled through Uganda to Nairobi. The patient was isolated and tested positive for the virus but later died. The NCDC says there is no confirmed case of Ebola in Nigeria as of October 6, but it is reviewing the country’s preparedness measures in response to the regional development. The agency says its preparations include early detection, isolation and referral, laboratory testing, contact tracing, infection prevention and protection of healthcare workers. The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm but vigilant, practise regular hand hygiene and avoid contact with the blood or body fluids of sick people or the bodies of people who died from unknown illnesses. It also advised travellers from affected areas to monitor their health for 21 days and seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms.

The Nigerian Heart Foundation says more than 235,000 Nigerians die from cardiovascular diseases every year. The Foundation gave the figure while marking the 2026 World Heart Day in Lagos, stressing that many heart conditions can develop silently from childhood into adulthood. Its Executive Director, Dr Kingsley Akinroye, urged Nigerians to undergo regular medical checks, particularly blood pressure checks, and adopt healthier lifestyles from an early age. He identified tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful alcohol consumption and air pollution as major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The Foundation also advised families to reduce excessive salt consumption, encourage regular exercise and ensure children develop healthy eating habits. It called for increased government investment in heart disease prevention, affordable treatment and local production of cardiovascular medicines.

The National Association of Resident Doctors has given the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to address outstanding welfare and professional issues affecting its members. The association issued the ultimatum at its 46th Annual General Meeting in Calabar, warning that failure to resolve the issues could lead to industrial action. Resident doctors are demanding action on remuneration, career progression, professional allowances, excessive workload and manpower shortages. They also called for improved hospital infrastructure, adequate medical equipment and better working conditions to improve healthcare delivery. NARD expressed concern over the migration of doctors and other health professionals from Nigeria, saying it has worsened staff shortages and increased the workload on doctors remaining in the country. The association also called for stronger measures to protect health workers from attacks in hospitals and urged the government to address unpaid salaries and entitlements owed to house officers. NARD is asking the Federal Government to use the two-week window to resolve the outstanding issues and avert a breakdown of industrial harmony in the health sector.

The Nigerian Correctional Service says the outbreak was confirmed through laboratory tests on September 23, after it was first detected six days earlier when an inmate developed vomiting and diarrhoea. According to the Service, one inmate died at the custodial centre, while the second death occurred at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital. The NCoS says the outbreak is now under control, with no further deaths recorded since the diagnosis. Additional preventive measures have been introduced in collaboration with the Kano State Government, while disease surveillance and medical monitoring have been strengthened. The Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, has also directed senior medical personnel from the Service’s headquarters to monitor the situation at the facility.

Canada has warned its citizens travelling to Nigeria against consuming unregulated or adulterated alcoholic drinks following reports of deaths linked to beverages containing high levels of methanol. The warning was issued in an updated travel advisory by the Canadian government, which urged travellers to buy alcohol only from reputable establishments. The advisory comes after NAFDAC confirmed high concentrations of methanol in locally prepared alcoholic and herbal drinks linked to the deaths of 48 people in Ondo State. The agency said seven victims were left blind, while 182 cases of illness had been recorded as of September 17. NAFDAC said 11 out of 15 samples tested positive for Cannabis indica, while laboratory tests confirmed high levels of methanol, a toxic substance that can cause blindness, organ failure and death. The agency has arrested 15 people over the suspected production and distribution of the drinks and warned Nigerians against consuming unlicensed or unregistered alcoholic and herbal concoctions.

Nigeria has recorded what the Redeemer’s Health Village describes as West Africa’s first telerobotic surgery, with surgeons operating on a patient from about 500 kilometres away. The procedure was carried out at a hospital in Abuja by surgeons at the Redeemer’s Health Village in Mowe, Ogun State, using a robotic system connected through the internet. The surgery involved the removal of a cancerous kidney and was performed in collaboration with RoboMed Global and Nisa Premier Hospital. Doctors say the breakthrough could allow specialists in Nigeria and abroad to remotely perform complex surgeries on patients in locations where the required expertise is unavailable. The hospital also performed a robotic-assisted procedure on a 28-year-old patient to remove an obstruction and improve urine flow. The Chief Executive Officer of the Redeemer’s Health Village, Dr Adedamola Dada, is calling for government support to train more surgeons, nurses and biomedical engineers in robotic surgery. Doctors say the technology could help overcome geographical barriers and expand access to specialised healthcare across Nigeria.